With a voice the New York Times has called, “luminous” and “lustrous,” versatile soprano Amy Burton has sung with the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, at the White House, and with major opera companies and orchestras throughout the US, Europe, UK, Japan and Israel, as well as on recital and cabaret stages from New York to Barcelona. A frequent interpreter of 20th and 21st-Century music, she has performed works by John Corigliano, John Musto, Paul Moravec, Lee Hoiby, John Harbison, Richard Festinger, and Richard Danielpour, to name a few. Also specializing in French vocal music of the 1920s and 30s, Ms. Burton has performed both mélodies and chansons populaires throughout the US and Europe, and recorded a critically acclaimed CD with conductor Yves Abel, Souvenir de Printemps. She also sang in the modern-day premiere of Cole Porter's rediscovered 1928 musical, The Ambassador Revue (La Revue des Ambassadeurs), in both Paris and New York.
Recent projects include a reading of excerpts from Sarah in the Theater, a new opera by Mark Adamo, performances of American Songbook with John Musto at PS 21 in Chatham, NY, Mohawk Trails Concerts in Massachusetts, and the Cincinnati Song Initiative. Other concerts include Mahler’s 2 nd Symphony with the Springfield (MA) Symphony, John Corigliano’s Mister Tambourine Man with the Midland-Odessa Symphony, Debussy songs with Lyricfest in Philadelphia, and music by Leonard Bernstein in Southport, Connecticut. Ms. Burton has toured throughout the United States with Late Night with Leonard Bernstein, a concert narrated by Jamie Bernstein, the composer’s daughter (with pianists John Musto and Michael Boriskin). LNLB will resume touring in March, 2023, with performances in Stillwater, Oklahoma, Santa Fe, New Mexico, and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
Ms. Burton’s frequent collaborations with composer-pianist John Musto include recitals, cabaret evenings and residencies. They have appeared in concert at the Neue Galerie’s Café Sabarsky, the National Arts Club, the Kennedy Center, the Philips Collection, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Lincoln Center’s Great Performer series, NYFOS Next, Barcelona’s Liceo Forum, and in Double Date with William Bolcom and Joan Morris in New York, Los Angeles, and Ann Arbor. Burton gave the New York premiere of Musto’s Scottish Songs, the world premiere of Sarah’s Song for the AIDS Quilt Songbook 20th Anniversary concert, and Summer Stars for the Opera America Songbook and recording. Their recent recordings for Bridge Records of John Musto’s songs and Got a Little Rhythm, a collection of songs and duets from the Great American Songbook (both with baritone Patrick Mason), have garnered rave reviews. She has also recorded for Bridge, Naxos, Harbinger, Albany, Angel/EMI, CRI, and recorded the role of Winnie in the Michael Dellaira opera, The Secret Agent for SoundMirror/Albany Records.
A sought-after teacher, Ms. Burton joined the Vocal Arts faculty at the Juilliard School in the Fall of 2019. Also on the voice faculties of the Mannes College of Music (The New School), the CUNY Graduate Center (DMA program), and SongFest at Vanderbilt University, she has previously taught French Vocal Literature at Manhattan School of Music, and maintains an active private voice studio in New York City. She has given master classes and residencies throughout the United States and in Paris.
Career awards include major prizes from the Gerda Lissner, George London, and Sullivan Foundations, the Silver Medal in the 1995 Marian Anderson International Vocal Competition, the Christopher Keene Award, the Kolosvar Award, and the Diva Award from New York City Opera, where she was a leading soprano for twelve seasons. She is a proud member of New York Festival of Song's Artist Council, and of Opera America, which honored her with their first-ever Artist Advocate Award in 2006.
Updated February 2023